Yellow Roses
by gloredhel28
Summary: New DADA professor from Canada. What will Snape think when she trespasses on his territory?
1. Perita

Disclaimer: I own Perita Lexisti, her room in the dungeons, and the plot of this story. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Professor Dumbledore stood before the assembled Hogwarts students and staff. "Before the feast, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Miss Perita Lexisti. She comes to us from the exotic land of Canada, though her parents were Hogwarts graduates."  
  
A slender woman with her blonde hair tied in a severe knot stood up and examined the students over the top of tiny glasses. Saying nothing, she sat down sharply.  
  
"Let the feast begin!"   
  
"She looks a bit young, doesn't she?" Hermione remarked, serving herself turkey, ham, and mushy peas.   
  
"Don' mush fancy the 'airdo," came a garbled reply.  
  
"Oh, Ron, for Merlin's sake! Don't speak with your mouth full."  
  
"You're no' my mum."  
  
"No, but that doesn't make the sight of your half-chewed food any less disgusting."  
  
"Will you two just quit it? We've only been back for a few hours and you're already starting in!" Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"'C'mon, Harry, you know we're only playing!" Ron turned to Hermione, who was seated next to him. "Aren't we, muffin?" He kissed her cheek, making a loud smacking sound.  
  
"Ok, I do not need to see this!" Harry started laughing, and so did Ron. Hermione blushed brightly, but joined in the laughter of her friend and boyfriend a few moments later. Another year at Hogwarts had begun.  
  
*****  
  
"Severus, will you please show Perita to her new quarters? It is on your way."  
  
Snape almost growled. "Of course, Headmaster." Dumbledore floated off down the corridor. Amazing how a man his age could walk like that, so smoothly with no hint of arthritis or anything of that nature. Maybe he didn't even have arthritis, though that seemed impossible in a man so old. Perita levitated her luggage and followed the Potions Master down to the dungeons.   
  
They stopped at a door somewhat before and on the opposite side of the corridor from Snape's rooms. "I have always had these dungeons to myself," he said, irritably. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you request quarters here?"  
  
"Dungeons are generally the most heavily fortified part of any castle. I trust the security here of course, but the dungeons are even more secure than the rest of the building." Here she paused. Snape thought she was finished and opened his mouth, but Lexisti beat him to it. "I understand your desire for privacy, Professor Snape. I shall try to disturb you as little as possible. If, for some reason, my presence becomes intolerable to you, please tell me and I may seek refuge elsewhere. But I do not anticipate problems with this arrangement. I am very quiet." The trunks and bags settled quietly on the floor. She looked around the windowless room, her sharp gray eyes settling on the doors leading to the adjoining chambers.  
  
"Thank you for accompanying me, Professor Snape. I hope you have a pleasant evening."  
  
"Good evening, Professor Lexisti." Bowing a little so that his long hair fell in his face, Snape exited and retreated to his own apartments.  
  
*****  
  
"What classes do we have this morning?" Ron asked sleepily.  
  
"Potions with Slytherin and then double DADA with Ravenclaw," said Hermione, as she munched her toast."  
  
"That should be interesting. We get her double on the first day." Defense Against the Dark Arts was Harry's favorite class, not surprisingly.   
  
"I agree. We haven't had many young teachers. Well, none actually. I think Snape and Lupin are the youngest we've ever had, and they're our parents' age. I wonder if her teaching style is different. And she must have an accent."  
  
"Well, she looked pretty severe to me, and Potions first thing in the morning is just evil."  
  
"Those two statements have nothing to do with each other. Why do you group them together?"  
  
"Give it up, 'Mione. You'll never improve Ron's English. He just naturally mistreats it." Harry got up from the table and picked up his books. Hermione had been looking at Ron, whether in love or frustration not even she knew. "Oh, if we don't leave now we'll be late! I wish it weren't so far to the dungeons!"  
  
The Potions Master was particularly snarky. He assigned Ron to work with Crabbe, Harry with Goyle, and Neville and Draco were inflicted upon each other. Ron's potion turned bright pink for no apparent reason. Goyle failed to chop the toad's foot small enough, so his and Harry's potion remained a muddy brown and emitted foul-smelling steam. Professor Snape, always on top of things, charmed away the smoke before anyone got really nauseous. Draco so intimidated Neville that he spent the entire class measuring and re-measuring the chicken feathers, until Draco snatched the container and poured them all in. It was too much, and the cauldron melted. "Fifteen points from Slytherin!" Snape hissed at Malfoy, shocking everyone. The students began whispering as soon as the left the room, wondering what made Snape so upset that he would actually take points from his own house.  
  
  
  
The Gryffindors wandered up to the DADA classroom. Professor Lexisti was writing on the board already. She wore steely grey robes which matched her glittering eyes and silver glasses. Her hair ought to have been grey as well it seemed, because her tight-bound gold strands stood in strange contrast. As soon as everyone filed in and sat down, the door closed of its own accord and Perita Lexisti turned to face her first class.  
  
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Today's class will be a review of dark creatures. Since I understand you have all met a werewolf, we will begin there. Besides the fact that they are not born werewolves, and change at the full moon, what can you tell me about them?" 


	2. The Cat

Disclaimer: The only character I own is Perita Lexisti. Everything else is J.K. Rowling's.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
A white cat with gray eyes stalked down the dungeon hallway toward the Potions classroom. The door was open. She stood at the entrance for a few moments, and cocked her head inquisitively. Looking up, she could see a man standing over a counter with a cauldron on it. His face seemed very far away, more than five feet higher than her own. Still, it was not hard to identify him. He was the only person in the room, and the only one who belonged there. That smell, his smell, was unmistakable. She walked into the room, not bothering to creep because he was obviously occupied. The silent steps of a cat wouldn't attract his attention.   
  
"Excuse me, but you do not belong here."  
  
Oops. He noticed.   
  
"Come here, cat."  
  
Warily, she did as commanded. His face loomed into view as he picked her up. Walking a little way from where he had been working, he set her on the counter. "Now, what are you doing down in the dungeons? A white cat, and a young one at that. Not very big. Unusually colored, bright, intelligent eyes..." Snape's description trailed off. "I think you're more than you let on, kitten. But whatever you're up to, leave me out of it. Now shoo!" He waved his arm, signalling her to get out. She jumped off the counter and slunk back to her room, changing back into her human form so she could close the door. "Damn," she said aloud, to no one in particular. "I wonder if he really knows, or if he just suspects."  
  
Perita sat down at her desk and stared at the books in front of her. Making up lesson plans for next week would probably be a good idea, but she didn't want to do that now. She was bored. She wasn't bad at DADA, well, obviously or Dumbledore wouldn't have her teach it, but she wasn't here because she wanted to be. Hogwarts was safe, her family said. They won't be able to get you there. You're not quite young enough to pass for a student, they said, but maybe Dumbledore could find some other excuse for you to be there. Dumbledore will figure something out, they had said, Dumbledore always can. "Screw Dumbledore, screw Hogwarts, and screw Snape," Perita muttered. "I wonder how long I'm going to have to stay here."  
  
A knock at the door startled her from her reveries. "Who is it?" she called, trying not to sound cross. "Severus Snape."   
  
Ugh. "Just a moment." Perita pointed her wand at her head and her hair wrapped itself into a tight knot. "Accio spectacles," she said softly, and put the tiny things on. "Welcome back, Professor Lexisti." She opened the door. "Yes?"  
  
"Professor Lexisti, have you had your door closed all morning?"  
  
"To the best of my recollection."  
  
"Hm. Never mind then. Sorry to have troubled you."  
  
"Why such a strange question, Professor Snape?"  
  
"There was a small cat I did not recognize poking around my classroom a few moments ago. I wondered if you had seen it, and if so, whether you knew to whom it belongs."  
  
Lexisti sniffed. "It is very unlikely that I would know to whom any animal at Hogwarts belonged. I have only been here a week. I have had neither the time nor the desire to make note of my students' pets."  
  
"As I said, sorry to have troubled you."  
  
"There is one thing, Professor Snape, if I may ask..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Might I borrow a book about potions?"  
  
Snape raised a black eyebrow. "Why? What sort of book?"  
  
"I was reading a book about the history of defense against the Dark Arts, and it mentioned some potions which I am unfamiliar with. Potions is very inadequately taught at the school I attended. Being able to look up the potions would both satisfy curiosity and contribute to my understanding of the book. The library did not seem to have what I was looking for."  
  
"I see. Yes, the library's collection of books on potions is woefully incomplete, though that's common enough. It's an underappreciated art. I do have a few books about potions which are commonly used for dark purposes, or which are actually considered to be dark themselves. Perhaps you should come and look at what I have, and choose one for yourself."  
  
"That would be very helpful, thank you."  
  
Perita tried to keep her cool facade. Yes, I'm good. Snape's private quarters. That sounds good for relieving boredom. Come now, stay calm, you're Professor Lexisti now, right? She followed the tall bundle of silky black robes and greasy black hair to his private quarters. As the door opened, an impossibly neat, dark room came into view. A worn, green velvet-upholstered chair sat in front of a fireplace waiting for its master, a matching sofa facing it, though the sofa looked new and unused. The wall behind it was lined with books on a mahogany bookshelf. A doorway opposite the fireplace gave glimpses of a bedroom beyond, also furnished in mahogany and green velvet. Lexisti headed for the bookshelf.   
  
"I think you may find what you are looking for in this section." Snape indicated the middle of the shelf on the right-hand side, right behind his chair. Perita followed his instruction and began hunting, pulling books off the shelf and looking through them before carefully replacing each book in the space which had been created by its removal. The books were alphabetized, of course. After all, he was a Potions Master. A well-organized mind, and all that. 


	3. Eamon

Disclaimer: Everyone and everything except Lexisti and E. Finnigan belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Students filed into the Great Hall for breakfast on Monday morning. Draco Malfoy nearly ran over a first year Hufflepuff who had slowed to stare at the enchanted ceiling. He pulled out his wand when he ran into her, but he caught Professor Snape's eye and did nothing. Hermione Granger tugged at her unruly curls as Ron Weasley watched silently. Harry Potter was talking to two other Gryffindor boys about Quidditch. The Ravenclaw table was much quieter than the other three, probably because about half of them were reading and oblivious to the presence of anyone else in the room. The other half were immersed in intense and hushed conversations, probably about schoolwork. The Hufflepuffs were silly, but looked nice. The Slytherins appeared to be a gossipy bunch, and several of them had smirks on their faces which gave them the appearance of plotting something. The Gryffindors were riotous and a bit messy with their food.  
  
Professor McGonagall seemed to be having an interesting conversation with Headmaster Dumbledore. They spoke very quietly, and Professor Lexisti doubted that even Flitwick, on McGonagall's other side, could hear of what they spoke. The older woman's occasional giggles and Dumbledore's grin made the young woman doubt that she wanted to know the subject of the exchange. Flitwick, looking tiny and cute as usual, also looked annoyed that Trelawny was talking to him. He kept looking to his right, as if he was trying to overhear the Headmaster's conversation, but Trelawny drawled on, either ignoring or not noticing his distraction. Probably the latter. Hagrid, on Trelawny's other side, had his face close to his plate, devouring a gigantic mound of food (appropriate for a half-giant), though the mound never really seemed to get smaller. Self-replenishing plate, perhaps? Though, with a mound of food that size, how could it possibly be necessary? Bits of egg and toast stuck in his enormous beard. Professor Lexisti preferred not to contemplate that sight much longer. Snape, of course, on Dumbledore's immediate right and Lexisti's immediate left, had perfect table manners. A square of cloth was always at the ready to wipe away any offending food particles, but it was rarely necessary because his eating habits were so neat. He ate slowly and deliberately, looking up occasionally to scowl at some poor student who made more noise than he wished to hear, but not conversing with anyone at the table.   
  
"So, are you enjoying England so far, Professor Lexisti?" said a light Irish brogue next to her. Perita turned to face the speaker. A handsome man a few years older than herself with bright red hair, blue eyes, and a profusion of freckles smiled at her. He was the new History teacher, since Professor Binns had finally retired.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not in much of a position to judge England, Professor Finnigan. I have not seen it except for Diagon Alley and Hogwarts." Perita went back to her breakfast. The silence was apparantly uncomfortable for Professor Finnigan, since he felt the need to ask another question. "Do you have my younger brother, Seamus, in your class?"  
  
"I teach all the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, Professor Finnigan. If he is taking the course, then I do indeed have him in my class. I am afraid I have not yet learned the names of all of my students." She had hoped he would be quiet, but it did look as if he was going to speak again.  
  
"I am sorry to have assumed that you would know the students' names. I forgot that you did not have personal connections with Hogwarts as the other teachers do."  
  
"My parents did attend Hogwarts. While I did not know people here, I had heard of some of the older professors. But no, I have no personal connections with the current students or, for the most part, with their families."  
  
"For the most part?" Eamon had the same look on his face that his brother Seamus got when she asked him a difficult question in class. Yes, she did know who Seamus was. She hadn't admitted it because she'd hoped he would go away if she gave him nothing to talk about.  
  
"My father was in the same class as Arthur and Molly Weasley. He only knew them peripherally, though."  
  
"What House were your parents in?"  
  
"Father was a Ravenclaw and Mother was in Slytherin."  
  
"Ah, I see." That seemed to shut him up.   
  
"Have you ever been to Ireland, Perita?" Good grief. Was he totally dense? She didn't want him to speak to her, and here he was, not only continuing a conversation long past its expiration date, but daring to use her first name, which she had not given him permission to use.  
  
"Yes, I have been to Ireland. One of my grandmothers is from a very old Irish family. I enjoyed it, and hope to go back someday," she answered tersely. How much longer will this meal last? Quick, think of some excuse to leave...  
  
Just as Eamon Finnigan opened his mouth to speak again, Professor Snape's smooth tones caressed Perita's ears, relieving the stress of the now exasperating Irish accent. "Professor Lexisti, I believe you still have the book which you borrowed from me on Saturday. I would like it back as soon as possible. I find I will need it for class on Thursday, and would like to have it with me as I plan the lesson."   
  
Perita tried not to look too relieved, or to kiss Snape for saving her from Finnigan's babbling. "Of course, Professor Snape. I will go and get it now, before classes begin. Shall I leave it on your desk in your classroom?"  
  
"There will be no need to leave it anywhere. I shall be in my classroom momentarily, and you will be able to place it into my hands at your convenience."   
  
"Very well. Have a nice day, Professor Finnigan."  
  
"Please, call me Eamon." He looked so friendly. Too bad she wasn't inclined to return the favor.  
  
"As you wish." Perita exited the room with as much haste as she thought would not offend the rules of decorum. Snape followed her. "Professor Lexisti, your mother was a Slytherin?"  
  
"Yes. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, if she was in the same class as your father or younger, I would have known her. What was her maiden name?"  
  
"I don't know. My mother's family disowned her for marrying a half-breed. She never spoke of them, and never used her maiden name. I'm sure Dumbledore could tell you if you really wanted to know."  
  
"So, your mother was a pureblood?"  
  
Perita sniffed. "Very few Slytherins are otherwise." The walk to the dungeons continued in silence. The young woman went into her quarters, but Snape remained outside the door. She returned quickly, handed him the book, and they parted company without a single word being exchanged. Snape was intrigued, at least to know of her parentage. He could not remember if Nero Lexisti had had a girlfriend when he was at school or not. A Ravenclaw dating a Slytherin was a common enough occurence and would not have generated much gossip, especially when both were from old families. And, frankly, Snape had not kept up with those sorts of things in school. He was only interested from a geneaological standpoint if they married, because he was related to almost all the pureblood families in some way. Not the Lexistis, as far as he knew, or not closely enough to be of any consequence. He had also not known that Nero's mother was a muggle. The Lexistis were a pureblood family, for the most part. For one of them, especially forty or fifty years ago, to have married a muggle was odd. That was a puzzle for later. 


End file.
